Apology for the Nonconformists Ministry

p. 1AN APOLOGY FOR THE SILENCED MINISTERS, Especially for their not ceasing to Preach Christs Gospel.

Being the Third Part of their Plea for Peace.

Humbly directed to those of the Lord Bishops, and to the rest of the Conformable Clergy, of their mind, who have procured our Silence and Sufferings, or the continuance thereof.

Most Reverend, and Right Reverend Lords and Fathers, and Reverend Brethren,

HAVING once tryed in vain (though by the favour of His Majesties Gracious Encouragement and Commission) what speaking might do; and since that tryed, as much in vain, what silence in this kind will do; I have resolved once more, before the expiring of my gasping hopes, to resist despair, and to try whether so many years experience hath opened your ears and hearts, to the Reasons and humble Requests of those, who not so much for their Sufferings, p. 2as for the Souls of men, do daily eat the bread of sorrow; At least, before I resign this Skeleton to the dust, to leave one more testimony of my zeal for Unity and Peace, and make one more attempt for the Gospel and the Church of Christ, that I may not appear before my Judg, in the guilt of negligence, cowardize or unprofitableness: Not to be your Accuser, nor a Justifier of any of the weaknesses or miscarriages of the present Nonconformists, nor yet of those of former times; but humbly to re-mind you of the things that concern the interest of Christ, the people, and your selves.

When it pleased the most Gracious Soveraign of the World, to restore his Majesty, by the concurrence of the desires of his Subjects, and the wonderful dissolution of that Army and Government which resisted his returns; as we knew that our divisions had been our sin and ruine, and our enemies strength, and that our Concord now would be our duty and our hope, and our enemies terrour; so we thought that the season had happily favoured our just desires. We had all one undoubted Soveraign to unite in: We had all seen and felt the folly and calamity of Dissentions: We had found that principles and practises of jealousie, violence and division had let out our blood, and made havock of our wealth, and separated us from our King, and one another, and brought us all into confusions: We had newly found, that our sudden unanimity and concord had restored the King▪ and those that suffered for and with him: We knew that almost all the people of the Land were so weary of contention and its effects, that they were melted into an aptness for the mould of unity, and never were more inclined to Concord, even upon any tolerable terms. We knew also that we had a King, who was newly restored by the very first recovery of his peoples unity; and who was even then famous for a loving and a gracious nature, enclined to moderation, quietness and peace: And we had newly seen the many published Declarations of the Nobility and Gentry of the Land, who had suffered most in His Majesties cause, protesting against all future animosities and revenge.

p. 2The attempts which we made for the Churches healing upon these encouragements, did quickly meet with gracious acceptance, and yet greater encouragement from the King: And we had no reason to think, that among all the rest, the Clergy should be averse to such a work, or yet should spoil it at such a season for want of skill; because we had on both sides been deep in those experiences p. 3that should instruct us, and many not the least and last, either in the former sin, or present interest; and our calling and understanding in such things, were supposed such, as should make us Leaders to all the people, in any just attempts for Concord.

When we had humbly craved of his Majesty, that such persons of both sides as he should appoint, might bring in Proposals, containing such Approaches, and Abatements, and Accommodations, as each part could yield unto, without sin against God, and against their consciences; and his Majesty had more than granted our requests, even expressing his Gracious resolution to draw you on to such Concessions; we did accordingly give notice to the London-Ministers, that our Concord might be the more extensive, to meet at Sion-Colledge, and give in their sense of the necessary means to so good an end. Bishop Reynolds and Bishop Worth, and some others that Conform, concurred with us in our Proposals: We never spake a word against a Liturgy, nor set-forms of Prayer, nor against the festival Commemorations of the Saints, nor many other things, which many had formerly excepted against; but only desired some emendations of the Liturgy, and that some other forms of Prayer might be added to the several offices, with a Liberty of using this or that. And for the Government of the Church (which was accounted the matter of greatest difference), we never made one offer for Presbytery (That is, the Government of the Church by Classes and Presbyteries constituted of Lay and Clergy-Elders), nor did we ever speak a word for Lay-Elders: Not that we presumed to Censure those Churches that used them: but as many, or most of our selves were never for them; so we knew that no forms in which the Churches were known so much to differ, could be the proper terms of Concord: We never made any Proposals against Episcopacy, no not against the Lordships of the Bishops, nor against the greatness of their Revenues, nor their places in Parliament; nor made we any offer of any other way of Discipline, but the frame which by Archbishop Usher had been presented to the late King, called, The Reduction of Episcopacy, &c. In which he thought that he had hit upon the ancient Primitive Government, by Bishops, with their Clergy-Presbyters as their Colledge. Not that we approved all the forementioned things which we passed by, but that we knew we must yield for the Churches peace, as far as we could do without committing sin our selves.